We had a chance to sit down with and interview the gracious Matt Russell, M Brand and Alpina Manager for the US, at the 2011 New York International Auto Show. Like us, Matt is a BMW enthusiast through and through. He races BMWs and describes himself as the biggest manual transmission purist he knows. We posed to Matt some commonly asked questions among our forums and are able to share with you the following insights.

*Some of the following answers are paraphrased, but retain their original meaning and message.

BMW 1M COUPE

1M availability: Is it correct to assume that virtually all 1Ms coming to the US in 2011 are already spoken for?
Not a safe assumption - the 1M order bank pipeline shows that the customer who wants one bad enough can probably still find one. It comes down to finding a dealer with allocation (paraphrased).

Has any decision been made regarding 2012 production?
We have no plans to announce at this time for 2012.

BMW M3

What is the take rate of the DCT vs. Manual Transmission (MT) in US?
DCT is indeed more popular in the current M3. It's important for enthusiasts to know this because if you want to continue to see MT in the US market, then vote with your wallet. North American is quickly becoming the last holdout for manuals in the premium auto segment and manuals are endangered, so enthusiasts need to continue purchasing MT equipped BMWs if you want to keep manual transmissions around. People buying BMWs for street use (especially the 1 series, 3 series, and M cars) should take the time to learn to drive a manual; it could become addictive. It shouldn't just be dismissed.

Any plans to bring the M3 lightweight sedan (info/pics) to the US?
Not at this time. Reason being that there is not much time left to build E90 M3 and also the homologation issue (couldn't certify for US).

Having said that, we always take a look at the componentry that they offer on some of these special editions like the GTS and like this sedan, and we try to see if there's anything we can use or make fit here in the States that would be easier to homologate. It's difficult to get things federalized for sale in the US (i.e. BMW Performance seats).

Will the lightweight M3 edition be called the M3 GTS Sedan?
The M3 lightweight sedan is very similar to the GTS coupe, but more civilized and a little less wildcat. For this reason it wouldn't be appropriate to also just name it "GTS."

Can the US expect any special edition M3s prior to the end of production of current generation M3s?
I hope so. We have a long time to go before the end of production of the M3 coupe. The M3 coupe and convertible have a lot of living left to do. I think there's time to do some special stuff, so stay tuned.

Will there be a model year 2012 M3 sedan?
Need to look at the life cycle of the E90 3-series sedan in order to answer that question, but it's a simple deduction. But, if you are interested in an M3 sedan, you should probably go talk to the dealer ASAP.

Should M3 sedan fans fear the extinction of the M3 sedan in the next (F30 M3) generation?
I would not be too pessimistic about the M3 sedan. That car has been a really nice reliable seller for us. It has consistently sold month to month and year to year. The people who buy the car love the car. It allows the guy who has "stuff," a business need to move people, or children who have an active lifestyle… to keep driving an M3. It's my favorite M3 to drive. I'm very optimistic about the future of a 4 door M3. It hasn't been ruled out.

BMW F10 M5

What is the expected sales figures for the F10 M5 compared to E60 M5?
My opinion is that this new car will outsell the E60 M5. As good as the E60 M5 was, the new car will be better to live with, faster, more efficient, go further on a tank of fuel, and will be a huge leap forward in terms of the dual-personality executive sedan. And that's what the M5 sedan invented in the mid 80's. This will be the best M5 in terms of the most distinction between its dual personalities. This M5 will be more relaxed than the E60 M5 when not in M mode, and faster than E60 M5 was when in M mode. Really just an amazing car. I think it will be even more successful and outsell its predecessor.

FUTURE OF M MODELS - AWD / LIGHTER WEIGHT?

What's the Possibility of AWD for F10 M5 or Future M Models?
We are not afraid to consider any technology that will give us the edge, and that could be AWD. I love to drift; I think drifting is an incredibly important ability of an M Car - just like the M3 was recently voted by one magazine to be the best production drift car at any price. And that's because you can do so much with it. The M3's patented steering allows you to control the car well under all slip angles, so if we get an AWD M car, we couldn't give that up and would still have to have a way to do that -- to give the driver that much control over the chassis. For us, preserving balance is more important than anything.

So if we choose to adopt AWD for our sports sedans and coupes, it would have to be a pretty revolutionary measure. I really like what Ferrari did with the FF's AWD system; it was innovative and brilliant. That was a nice way to keep weight in check. We'd have to follow the same rules, but at a BMW price point.

But, the vast majority of M5 owners have not really indicated to us that they're wanting for AWD. Do I think think we could be the best in the industry at it? Yes, but is it a priority? In the SAVs it makes sense because they're in the 500-600hp club and need a way to harness that power, but for the smaller cars, I don't think it's necessary at this point in time.

Would you say that the M's focus has shifted from horsepowers to weight reduction, driving dynamics, and efficiency?
I believe we've always been the company that shows the rest of the world what driving dynamics are, so that will continue. We are seeking ways to reduce weight but we have to make them affordable for our customer. We've communicated our commitment to advanced materials. The lightweight M3 sedan will be a good example of advanced lightweight materials.

BMW INDIVIDUAL

Is it more difficult to have BMW Individual paints or trims ordered in the US, compared to Europe?
Can you please explain the proper ordering process?
Are there any limitations?

All BMW Individual options available to European markets are available to North American customers. Ordering is available through every one of BMW's dealers. There's an order form dealers can put together for customers interested in having Individual work done. The dealers submit that order form old fashioned style (via fax) or they can scan and e-mail it to BMWNA's automotive sales department where there is a contact who receives individual requests and special orders all day long. That contact has a bridge directly to Germany and she'll find out how long it'll take to do whatever the customer is requesting, and she'll reply to the dealer with the timeframe and the price. If the customer is satisfied with the response, they can then go ahead and order the car. Individual is most popular on the 7-series and the M3 and is growing in popularity.

Just make sure your dealer knows about the special order form. If they don't have it or don't know about it, it's available via a quick e-mail to the BMWNA automotive sales department, which every dealer knows how to get in touch with.

The only limitation is what can the factory actually do. For example, Leipzig is not able to do Individual orders yet, but this may change some day in the future (so models produced there, such as the 1M coupe are not able to be ordered currently with Individual colors or options).

I'm glad he says he likes MTs like I do and he says to vote with your wallets BUT I have not seen a manual M3 in years at a dealership. Only special order,no chance to test drive unless they happen to have a used one on hand. I also believe people have to vote with their wallets and MTs are way more fun overall, BUT they make it so difficult to get one. Also, the dealers try to push you what is on-hand, which is always an Auto, then they tell you resale value, traffic, the liberal media, democrats....blah blah against the MT. You have to REALLY want a manual badly to get through the whole process and you can't compare side by side to see how much more fun MT is.

Also, he says they are commited to weight....why do they build folding mirrors, heated seats, power seats, bluetooth, nav and heavier 19" wheels into M cars? If they really cared about weight, they wouldn't even offer that in an M car. If you want a Cadillac buy one. M cars shouldn't have all this fluffy crap on them. Save that for the other models IMO.

Second, I have asked about BMW individual at the dealer and they said no, can't do that. Anyone here know, does it cost extra for individual, if so, how much more in US?

Second, I have asked about BMW individual at the dealer and they said no, can't do that. Anyone here know, does it cost extra for individual, if so, how much more in US?

Thank you.

IB

EVERY single BMW dealer can place Individual orders (per the Individual section of the Q&A above). If your dealer said they can't do it, then they either don't know they can or don't want to. Point them to the instructions outlined above if they really are not aware of how to order Individual options.

There is a set MSRP for each Individual option. Whether you can get it cheaper than MSRP is up to negotiation between you and the dealer.

I'm glad he says he likes MTs like I do and he says to vote with your wallets BUT I have not seen a manual M3 in years at a dealership. Only special order,no chance to test drive unless they happen to have a used one on hand. I take issue with BMWNAs director being pro manual. Second, I have asked about BMW individual at the dealer and they said no, can't do that. Anyone here know, does it cost extra for individual, if so, how much more in US?

Thank you.

IB

Cost extra: Yes.

Entry is about $4k and gets you paint, and here in Canada a few other options like individual interior trim and console.

Individual leather is about the same again ~$4k. Of course that is on top of the standard leather cost.

Then let your min race and set your wallet free for other smaller changes.

why do they build folding mirrors, heated seats, power seats, bluetooth, nav and heavier 19" wheels into M cars? If they really cared about weight, they wouldn't even offer that in an M car. If you want a Cadillac buy one. M cars shouldn't have all this fluffy crap on them. Save that for the other models IMO.

IB

That is what people want. M cars would become extinct if these features were not fitted - the majority of people would buy the competitor's offering.

Even M cars are still status symbols, and lightweight is less of a status symbol to the majority than 19" wheels etc.

- E90 lightweight is not going to be called the GTS Sedan.
- E90 lightweight is not coming to US.
- No AWD M3 or M5 are in development now, so don't expect them in the current generation.
- Upcoming E92/E93 SE M3s will be aesthetics only.
- No MT for M5, MT F3x M3 definitely in jeopardy.
- There will be a four-door F3x M3, but it might not be in sedan form.

And finally:

- Still no firm answer on the 2012 E90 M3 issue.

__________________

A gen-u-ine BMW eff-eight-zero with them tandem clutches in the transmission and that dad gum sun roof on the top-a da cawr.

I think these would be reading a bit much between the lines. I don't think there was any intent to suggest that a 4-door F3X M3 would not be in sedan form.

Fair enough, Jason. I know you did not directly quote him there, but if he at any point did indeed say "four door M3" when he could have said sedan, I would not keep expectations too high for an F30 M3. Just my take, though others may have their own interpretations.

__________________

A gen-u-ine BMW eff-eight-zero with them tandem clutches in the transmission and that dad gum sun roof on the top-a da cawr.

Fair enough, Jason. I know you did not directly quote him there, but if he at any point did indeed say "four door M3" when he could have said sedan, I would not keep expectations too high for an F30 M3. Just my take, though others may have their own interpretations.

Actually I did directly quote him on the words "M3 sedan" when he suggests that we should not be too pessimistic (in response to my question specifically about a "sedan") about its extinction. So, I think reading into the words "four door M3" as a tricky way to suggest a car other than a sedan may be too much of an assumption. His response regarding the F3X M3 sedan is essentially verbatim, especially when it comes to any important words like "sedan" and "four door M3."

Nearly all of Matt's answers have been transcribed verbatim. There may have been certain off-topic things left out, but you can be sure that any important terms and words you read in the Q&A are exact words.

The best part about this post is the portion re: BMW Individual. I can't tell you how many dealers I've been to that don't know jack about how to order an Individual car. Thank you for that.

Definitely. In fact, the answer actually surprised me as well simply because of the anecdotes from some members saying that their dealers could not order Individual options.

But Matt assures us that EVERY single US dealer can order Individual paint/trim for customers. They just have to know how to do it and have the willingness to. And if they don't know how, the directions are in Matt Russell's instructions above.

Definitely. In fact, the answer actually surprised me as well simply because of the anecdotes from some members saying that their dealers could not order Individual options.

But Matt assures us that EVERY single US dealer can order Individual paint/trim for customers. They just have to know how to do it and have the willingness to. And if they don't know how, the directions are in Matt Russell's instructions above.

I go one step further... if you call BMW Individual directly (Google) they will put you in contact with one of their representatives and you can discuss what you want to do by email. It is much better that you get a dealer involved first, but an official order is not a requirement.

Nevertheless, my strong suggestion before calling is: don't waste BMW Individual time in your fantasy configuration if at the end you cannot afford it. It is an expensive rabbit hole so make sure that you know what you want and that you have the extra funds to pay for it.

They are an extremely nice group of people that will go out of they way to make your Individual composition a reality...

I'm glad he says he likes MTs like I do and he says to vote with your wallets BUT I have not seen a manual M3 in years at a dealership. Only special order,no chance to test drive unless they happen to have a used one on hand. I also believe people have to vote with their wallets and MTs are way more fun overall, BUT they make it so difficult to get one. Also, the dealers try to push you what is on-hand, which is always an Auto, then they tell you resale value, traffic, the liberal media, democrats....blah blah against the MT. You have to REALLY want a manual badly to get through the whole process and you can't compare side by side to see how much more fun MT is.

Also, he says they are commited to weight....why do they build folding mirrors, heated seats, power seats, bluetooth, nav and heavier 19" wheels into M cars? If they really cared about weight, they wouldn't even offer that in an M car. If you want a Cadillac buy one. M cars shouldn't have all this fluffy crap on them. Save that for the other models IMO.

Second, I have asked about BMW individual at the dealer and they said no, can't do that. Anyone here know, does it cost extra for individual, if so, how much more in US?

Can the US expect any special edition M3s prior to the end of production of current generation M3s?
I hope so. We have a long time to go before the end of production of the M3 coupe. The M3 coupe and convertible have a lot of living left to do. I think there's time to do some special stuff, so stay tuned.